BERLIN, June 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Libya’s interim Prime Minster Abdul Hamid Dbeibah met Britain’s Boris Johnson and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as he sought to entrench agreement on political dialogue and elections before the end of the year.
“The Secretary and interim Prime Minister also emphasised the importance of full implementation of the October 23, 2020 ceasefire agreement, including the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya,” a US State Department spokesman said. “Secretary Blinken reiterated the US commitment to increasing diplomatic support for progress in Libya.”
Jan Kubis, the special envoy of the UN Secretary General for Libya, praised the collective effort made in Berlin to reach a consensus.
“This conference represents an important opportunity to renew the international community’s commitment to Libya’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Kubis said.
“Significant progress has been made since the holding of the first Berlin Conference in January 2020, resulting in ending the armed conflict in Libya; signing a ceasefire agreement and the establishment of a unified interim executive authority. However, more needs to be done to consolidate this progress and ensure sustainable stability and peace in Libya.”
Western diplomats have hailed the first appearance of a “more or less united” Libyan government for many years after talks in Berlin that seek to build on the ceasefire agreed to last year.
A senior official highlighted the importance of elections expected in December to support the process of removing foreign fighters from Libya.
The interim Government of National Unity was formed in February, taking over from the five-year-old Government of National Accord and a separate eastern-based administration, but an election is scheduled for Dec 24 to establish a unified administration for the country.
December elections were important “not just to legitimise a long-term, credible Libyan government” but also with regard to “foreign forces, mercenaries, and fighters”, diplomats said.
Years of factional warfare in the oil-rich North African state have led to the presence of thousands of foreign mercenaries.
This week’s BERLIN meetings did not produce a concrete agreement on how to approach the withdrawal of foreign fighters, however, with Turkey entering a reservation to the 58-paragraph document on conference conclusions.
It called for the withdrawal of all mercenaries and foreign fighters from Libyan territory.
The Turkish Parliament approved Ankara’s military intervention in January 2020 after an appeal for help from the Tripoli-based GNA, as rival factions attacked the capital.
Although a ceasefire has since been agreed to, the Turkish military remains in western Libya, with officials claiming this is by invitation and in a training capacity.
Also reported to be in the country are mercenaries belonging to the Russian Wagner Group who fought alongside forces aligned with eastern commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
The October 2020 ceasefire included a demand that foreign fighters leave Libya within 90 days and paved the way to the unity government.
After the Berlin summit, Dbeibah held “a constructive meeting” with his British counterpart, Boris Johnson, in LONDON, according to an official source.
The meeting focused on the ongoing work of the Libyan Government of National Unity to restore stability in Libya and prepare the country for safe, free and fair elections, scheduled for next December.
Dbeibah arrived in London from Berlin (Germany) for an official visit to the United Kingdom, during which he will have a series of meetings on political and economic issues with representatives of the British Government, said the same source. — NNN-AGENCIES
